Tampa Bay Rays Trying To Extend Joe Maddon?

By Ed Carroll | Oct 17, 2014

Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports /

The Tampa Bay Rays lost their general manager, Andrew Friedman, to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but are working to extend manager Joe Maddon, whose contract expires following the 2015 season.

Matt Silverman, the Tampa Bay Rays new vice president of baseball operations following Andrew Friedman joining the Los Angeles Dodgers as team president, said the “ingredients are there” for a new extension for manager Joe Maddon, who has said he wants to remain in Tampa Bay and in turn, Silverman would like to retain Maddon.

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There is speculation that Friedman would prefer to hire his close friend Maddon to manage the Dodgers, and replace current Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, speculation that could assuredly intensify if Maddon were to enter the 2015 season in the final year of his deal. Though Silverman said the Rays are “comfortable” with letting Maddon manage in the last year of his deal, they’re still trying to extend him.

“Just because that might happen doesn’t mean he’s not going to be the manager here long term,” Silverman said on Maddon managing without an extension. “I hope we all wake up one day and you see that Joe’s here even longer than he’s signed for today.”

Maddon has managed the Rays since the 2006 season, and was the only manager to work with Friedman during his tenure as the Rays’ GM. He has ties to the LA area, as he was a former Los Angeles Angels coach before joining the Rays.

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